Iowa Teen Fights Back, Escapes Would-Be Abductor

SCOTT COUNTY, Iowa — An eastern Iowa mom says her son is lucky to be alive after he fought off a man trying to kidnap him over the weekend.

“A gentleman got out of the vehicle, grabbed Hunter’s right arm, pulled him off of the bike, and as he did that, Hunter said he opened the side door van and told him to get in,” says Heather Gress.

WQAD reports it happened in Scott County near Donahue Friday night around 9:30.

Gress says her 15-year-old son was riding home from work when a man grabbed him. That’s when the teenager fought back, punching him in the nose and stomach before running away.

Gress says she hopes more kids learn self-defense.

“We just constantly talk about this with the kids, whether it’s harassment, school bullying, how to handle it, who to talk to, and if it doesn’t get solved, we are honest with our kids — if you need to handle it, this is the way you need to handle it, and it came down to this,” says Gress.

Investigators are still trying to find a suspect in the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.